Press Conference by the Press Secretary 23 April, 1999

1. Release of the 1999 Diplomatic Bluebook of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
2. Meeting of the states parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on their Destruction
3. Summit meeting between Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and President William Jefferson Clinton of the United States of America in Washington, DC
4. Consideration of the Guidelines for Japan-US Defense Cooperation in the Diet
5. Response of the Government of Japan to report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on projected Japanese economic growth

1. Release of the 1999 Diplomatic Bluebook of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

   Deputy Press Secretary Masaki Okada: Good afternoon. This morning, the Diplomatic Bluebook 1999 was reported to the Cabinet meeting and made public. The English version is to be published around June. An outline of the Diplomatic Bluebook 1999 is now made available so that you can also see what the contents are. The Diplomatic Bluebook is, in its essence, a report about Japanese diplomatic activities in the previous year. It does not include new proposals or ideas about Japan's foreign policy. I would like to highlight some characteristics of this year's Diplomatic Bluebook. At the beginning of Chapter I, in section 1, The International Community and Japan Toward the 21st Century, we tried to describe the overview of Japanese diplomatic efforts in 1998, and at the same time, the global trend toward the 21st century. As for the characteristics of Japan's foreign policy, we point out firstly, active Summit-level foreign policy, and secondly, comprehensive and proactive foreign policy. As for the first point, we touch upon intensive Summit-level diplomacy last autumn. We then describe, as examples, related to the second point, our response to the security issues and our contribution to peace in Cambodia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. We further explain aspects of human security, which is emphasized by Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. Following this, we sum up the trends in the international community toward the 21st century in three aspects; namely, diversification of threats, diversification of national power, and the progress of globalization. Further, in section 2, we pick up five major issues; namely, nuclear tests by India and Pakistan, the missile launch by North Korea, the economic situation in Asia and the world, the situation in Iraq and the Second Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD II). The Bluebook comprises five chapters while its Appendices include basic data and information on the current situation in each country of the world based upon the reports from the embassy concerned. This is concerning Japan's new Diplomatic Bluebook.

2. Meeting of the states parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on their Destruction

   Deputy Press Secretary Masaki Okada: The next item is the first meeting of the states parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on their Destruction (Convention). This meeting will be held in Maputo, capital of Mozambique, from 3 May. This is the first meeting of the states parties since the entry into force of the Convention on 1 March. It is to discuss the strengthening of international efforts to universalize the Convention, clear mine fields, assist victims and so on. Japan is willing to participate actively in the meeting and enhance its efforts toward the realization of the zero victim goal. From the Japanese side, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Keizo Takemi is going to participate as head of the delegation.

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3. Summit meeting between Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and President William Jefferson Clinton of the United States of America in Washington, DC

   Q: What does Japan expect from the upcoming Summit between Prime Minister Obuchi and President Clinton

   Mr. Okada: Prime Minister Obuchi and President Bill Clinton of the United States have already had several meetings and they know each other quite well. This time it is a very formal visit by Prime Minister Obuchi to the United States. In fact, this is the first official visit by a Prime Minister to the United States in the last 12 years. Therefore, in addition to the usual rather content-oriented talks, we would like them to have some chances to have direct contact with the general public there when Prime Minister Obuchi visits the United States. We are now planning to visit some other cities other than Washington, DC. That is one thing. Concerning the talks between the leaders, we hope that they are going to discuss all the possible agenda items such as regional security issues or the economic issues in Asia and in the world. We are also going to exchange views concerning bilateral cooperation between the United States and Japan. As you might know, we have been undertaking the so-called Common Agenda for quite a long time. Not many journalists are so aware of that and what we are going to discuss under the Common Agenda. We really hope really this official visit in the last year of the second millennium will lay the basis for the next century between the two countries.

   Q: Why has it been so long since the last official visit?

   Mr. Okada: We ask ourselves why. I think the answer might be that we have not found it so necessary to have official visits because we always have other very intensive exchanges and visits. As far as the real agenda items concerned, through our business-like talks we can solve all the problems. Therefore, we do not need so much formality. That is one thing. We thought it was a good idea to have such a formalized visit once in a while.

   Q: I noticed in today's Yomiuri, Japan is being urged to take more stimulus measures by the IMF and also Treasury Secretary Rubin. I know this has been sort of a point of irritation in the past about US officials lecturing Japan in public on how to fix its economy. Do you expect this to play a role in the Summit?

   Mr. Okada: We are going to discuss the present Japanese economic situation. As you might know, recently we had a discussion concerning economic policy between high-ranking officials of Japan and the United States in Washington, DC. There we explained what we are doing--also in light of this new analysis made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). What we explained to the United States side was that we really have made utmost efforts since the start of the Obuchi Administration last year. We implemented the emergency economic policies totaling 17 trillion yen as the size of the projects. We have also been making efforts to stabilize the financial system. This year we also made extra efforts to pass the 1999 budget in the Parliament. We are now implementing the early disbursement of the public fund this year. All in all, we are now making efforts to stimulate our own economy. This is concerning budgetary policies, but also concerning monetary policies, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) has been following a very low interest rate policy. Concerning deregulation, we have also been making extra efforts and we have been promoting this three year program for deregulation. That is what we can do now. For the time being, we have to wait and see what happens in the coming month. If we come to a discussion concerning the Japanese economic situation in Washington, DC, we are going to tell what we are doing now.

   Q: In the past, Japanese officials, including Press Secretary Sadaaki Numata, have responded to what they term public lecturing, maybe, by the United States as a source of irritation.

   Mr. Okada: We understand that the United States was irritated, in particular last year, before we really started to tackle these issues last summer. We think that people in the United States have been gradually understanding what we are doing. Now they want to see the effect of the policies we have been undertaking since the summer of last year.

   Q: What is the number one trade issue that is likely to come up between the President and the Prime Minister? Is it steel? Can you think of others?

   Mr. Okada: Steel might be. It is up to the United States. We think that we now have a rather imbalanced macroeconomic situation between the two countries, that means a growing trade imbalance. However, we understand that is rather the result of this imbalanced economic situation between the United States and Japan. Concerning bilateral issues, Japan's recession and the American boom has really had the effect of enlarging the Japanese surplus and the American deficit. As far as the individual issues, we have been talking at the official levels. Also, there are many consultations still going on. Quite recently, we have made and are still making efforts concerning deregulation in both countries. We have also been talking about investment into Japan and so on. We do not think it is appropriate that specific issues would be a sort of target of the negotiations at the Summit level.

   Q: I have been told that the Prime Minister is supposed to arrive in Washington on 2 May. I see here in the newspaper that he supposed to arrive in the United States on 29 April. Is he visiting other places before going to Washington?

   Mr. Okada: For the time being, we have announced that Prime Minister Obuchi will have the Summit meeting with President Clinton on 3 May. As for the rest of the itinerary, we have to further coordinate among ourselves. There is lots of information in the media, but we are still not in a position to confirm any other parts of the itinerary of Prime Minister Obuchi in the United States.

   Q: Any other issues that will be discussed?

   Mr. Okada: We are also going to discuss regional security issues such as the Korean Peninsula. We also understand that the United States is very much concerned about Kosovo. We are going do discuss other regional issues, and as I told you, also the Common Agenda.

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4. Consideration of the Guidelines for Japan-US Defense Cooperation in the Diet

   Q: Do you expect the Guidelines legislation to at least pass the Lower House before Prime Minister Obuchi meets President Clinton?

   Mr. Okada: They are going to talk about the Guidelines for Japan-US Defense Cooperation (Guidelines). There is no difference of opinion between Prime Minister Obuchi and President Clinton concerning the necessity of the Guidelines. We think that the United States is also very much aware that the Japanese Government is making efforts to pass the bills related to the Guidelines in the Diet. We have been making efforts this year, and while it has not been so quick, we have had very substantial discussions in the Diet and we have good prospects that the bills will be passed by the Parliament in the coming months.

   Q: With the bombing of Yugoslavia, NATO of course is using bases all over Europe. One of the key parts of the Guidelines legislation would let American forces use Japanese air fields and ports during a regional emergency. Does the campaign in Yugoslavia add any sense of urgency to getting the Guidelines legislation passed?

   Mr. Okada: I think this case in Kosovo has nothing to do with our own security in the Far East. It does not effect the discussions in the Parliament so much. That is what we understand. We are involved in this issue because this tragedy in Kosovo not only relates to the military operation or the political maneuvers, but also the humanitarian disaster which we are very much interested in and also about which we have very much concern. We think that while we are very geographically and historically remote from that area, we must be involved in that case. Therefore, from this humanitarian aspect, we are involved in the issue.

   Q: In terms of the US military strategy to fight two wars at the same time, we have this huge effort going on in Yugoslavia, and I am sure from the US perspective, these Guidelines are absolutely essential to this sort of two-war strategy. Suppose, for example, a crisis were to break out on the Korean Peninsula while the campaign against Yugoslavia was in full swing. This would certainly strain the capability of the US military. My question is, does this at all enter into the debate over the need for these new Guidelines?

   Mr. Okada: Concerning the American strategy, it is better to ask the Americans about two fronts and so on. However, as far as Japan is concerned, this is our own self-defense, our own security issue. If something happens in the vicinity of Japan which might effect Japan's own security, we will cooperate with American forces and thereby defend our own security. Until recently, we have been able to cooperate only in case Japan itself is attacked from outside. We do not think it is enough and we also would like to cover the situations which are not only occurring directly within Japanese territory, but which might effect our own security. This is a rather natural extension of what is needed for security. However, what Japan is able to do through these new Guidelines is very much limited to logistic support and so on, and is not directly involved in the use of force outside of our own territory. This is purely the minimum required for what we do in the case we cooperate with the United States forces.

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5. Response of the Government of Japan to report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on projected Japanese economic growth

   Q: Is the IMF estimate of growth in Japan that came out earlier this week too pessimistic?

   Mr. Okada: That is their own analysis. We have our own target to attain 0.5% positive growth within this fiscal year, not the calendar year. For the time being, we cannot comment whether the IMF estimate is too pessimistic or not. We just have to make our best efforts to attain our own target.

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